Battle Of Sexes Extends To Zanies` Mt. Prospect Stage

January 31, 1992|By Allan Johnson.

One of my favorite Brian Schmidt lines,`` comic Dea Staley says, ``is the one where his mother used to say that she couldn`t wait until the kids were grown up so the house could be clean. And after they moved away she found out that she was the one who was a slob.``

``Now, he`ll do that, and I`ll think, man, how can you say that?`` Staley continues. ``And then I go home, look at my house, and think, how much of this did I do? How much of this is my fault?``

Staley`s point is that Schmidt simply speaks honestly about his observations. ``Basically, what Brian does is tells the truth,`` she says.

``Granted, it`s a real broad stroke of the truth.``

And usually, women bear the brunt of those ``truths.``

``I`ve seen women in the audience literally cringe while Brian`s on stage,`` says Staley, a Chicago area comic who`s been performing for about 12 years. ``And then I would run into them in the ladies room and they`re comparing notes and laughing themselves silly.``

So what does the man himself say about his brand of comedy?

``Sometimes I`ve had women come up to me and say, `You were so obnoxious . . . but you`re so funny!` That`s probably the best compliment that anybody can give me,`` says Schmidt.

Schmidt, a Chicago native who has appeared on Showtime, MTV and Fox-TV, admits that his comedy might rankle some of his female audience members, but it`s not like he`s been stormed onstage by a mob of protesters.

At least, not lately.

``I have a lot of women that come up to me and say, `Hey, man, you were right on the money.` So it`s not like I`m up there trying to make women mad,`` says Schmidt. ``I`m just up there trying to give my perspective on things.``

``He likes to put women up on a pedestal ... and then he bangs their toes with a hammer,`` laughs Staley, who won a ``Chicago`s Funniest Lady`` contest that the Chicago Improv held a few years back.

Schmidt`s less-than-tame approach to comedy is going to be a focal point of a special format conducted by Zanies in Mt. Prospect this weekend. He and Staley are going to provide contrasting views to each other`s comedy. Something of a ``point-counterpoint`` theme.

And God bless `em, that`s what the good people of Zanies is billing the show.

Staley will do about 35 minutes of material, followed by Schmidt and his 35 minutes. Staley will then come back with 5 or 10 minutes of rebuttal, and Schmidt returns to the stage with his response.

And although comic Kevin Naughton will act as moderator, both Staley and Schmidt say this will be nothing like a debate.

``I don`t think it`s going to be that formalized,`` says Schmidt, a comic for 15 years. ``Dea`s just going to show the female side of it, and I`m going to show the male side.

``There`s no animosity or anything. We both enjoy one another. So we`re gonna go up there and have some fun just with our different perspectives.``

The comics will square off through Sunday at the Mt. Prospect Zanies room, 2200 S. Elmhurst Rd. Call 708-228-6166 for show times and more information.

The standup lineup

Here`s who`s working at the comedy clubs. Current sets are scheduled to run through Sunday; all new acts begin on Tuesday unless otherwise noted. Lineups are subject to change.

Chicago Improv (504 N. Wells St.; call 312-STAND-UP): Jerry Miner, a talented comic who was a co-writer and producer for Kevin Pollack`s last HBO special, is co-headlining this weekend with Doug Starks, whom listeners of WGCI-FM know as a wacky preacher on Tom Joyner`s radio show. A true master of improvisation, Rick Overton, is headlining beginning on Tuesday.

Funny Firm (318 W. Grand Ave.; 312-321-9500): Kathleen Madigan, who was featured in HBO`s ``Women of the Night`` special last year, completes a stay on Saturday. On Tuesday, local comic Rich Clesen opens the show for a headliner to be named.